ISI sees Islamist militants as the main threat

International

Mamatha

Posted By: Mamatha

Published: Tuesday, August 17, 2010, 16:12 [IST]

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Washington, Aug 17: Pakistan's most powerful military spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has determined for the first time in 63 years that India is no more threat to Pakistan but its new threat is Islamist militants.

The Wall Street Journal said, a regular review of national security allocated a two-thirds likelihood of a major threat to Pakistan coming from militants rather from India or elsewhere.

"It's earth shattering. That's a remarkable change," Bruce Hoffman, a counter terrorism specialist and professor at Georgetown University was quoted as saying.

However the paper said it was unclear whether the assessment of the ISI, largely staffed by active military officers, was fully endorsed by Pakistan's military and civilian government.

The paper quoted Major Gen Athar Abbas, the chief Pakistan military spokesman, as saying he hadn't seen the ISI report. He said India remained a threat but confirmed that it is the ISI's role to draw up security assessments.